Don't know what's going on - please help if you can!

Lana x

New member
Basically I'm a 34 year old female who is/was pretty healthy up until recently. My weight is normal (5'6, 120 lbs), I eat healthy, I drink enough water, don't smoke or drink alcohol, etc.
Well starting about 2-3 weeks ago I would lose sensation in my left arm, causing me to drop whatever it was I was holding at the time w/out even realizing it. I also had problems walking - couldn't take normal steps, it was almost like I was shuffling along or something. I would also feel as though I was going to pass out a lot but I always sat or laid down in time. Well I ended up in the hospital and they did all the neuro tests - CT scan, MRI, EEG and everything came back fine. They did find problems with my heart and I had an angiogram. Basically part of my heart isn't working as well as the rest and they think it could have been from a mild heart attack but aren't sure. Also, my cardiac blood levels were raised.

Ok, so here I am now, about 2 weeks out of the hospital and I'm feeling even worse. I've passed out a couple of times in my apartment, and come very close to passing out many other times. The thing that scares me the most is that periods of lack of sensation/control in my right arm/leg. Sometimes my left side is affected as well but it's mostly been the right side. With my leg it's like I'm limping when I walk but I have no control over this at all, and my arm can just go numb or "do it's own movements" that I'm not in control of (but slowly, it's not like a fast, jerky movement).

I'm just scared that this seems to be progressing and I don't know what to do. My cardiologist is treating me for severe hypotension but has admitted he doesn't know what to do about the loss of movement/control in my arm and leg. He said that the neuro tests they did came back fine so he doesn't think its related to anything neuro. To me it seems like it is, and I know there are plenty of neuro tests that they didn't do at the hospital - they just did the main 3 to rule out stroke or tumor, although I do realize that MRI's can show a lot.

Has anyone experienced anything like this or know anyone who has? PLEASE respond - I'm at a loss and I feel confined to my apartment other than going to appointments right now. I'm afraid to go out with my friends b/c this happens too often and there is no doubt that at some point during the evening I'd either pass out or lose feeling in my limbs. Thanks for reading, I know this is long but it seems as though there's a lot going on!

Lizzy
 
I am so sorry you are having these debilitating symptoms. Since you are housebound because of your symptoms, it sounds like your treatment is not helping you much. If you can, I would suggest making an appointment at a clinic that has many specialists to diagnose and treat you, many times at these, if the doctor is not sure or does not know the cause, they do not send you home, but instead confer with other doctors there on the cause and treatment plan. They also refer you to another specialty there if they do not know. Are you located near any large clinic known for their specialists? You can also insist on being referred, or depending on your insurance, some people can just make their own appointment and get a 2nd opinion, I have done this myself.
 
I know it's been a little while but I wanted to update this thread and let you all know what ultimately ended up happening. Around 5am on June 20th I woke up having a stroke. I couldn't speak and couldn't move my right side at all. I managed to call 911 and got to the ER where they eventually did an MRI and saw that I had a stroke, although couldn't give me the anti-stroke med b/c they didn't know when the onset was because that was how I woke up. I think I went to bed around 11-12 the night before.

The stroke was caused by dissection in my left neck carotid artery which was found to be 100% blocked. I have the same thing on the right side except that's about 50% blocked. Apparently it's very rare to have dissections on both carotid arteries. I'm home from the hospital and on many meds, including blood thinners. I'm following up with a different vascular surgeon tomorrow for a second opinion on my options so we'll see how that goes. I'm only 34 so hopefully this will heal itself and I won't be on coumadin forever, or for too long. I will have to follow up with testing for the rest of my life, and of course see a neuro and have my blood work tested while on these meds.

Just wanted to share the outcome of the symptoms I was trying to get answers to. Please don't wait until you're in a situation like I was. Push the doctors to keep looking - my symptoms were persisting and getting worse and I wasn't getting much help from the doctors I was seeing. Always get at least a second opinion!!! Again, I'm a 34 yr old female - this stroke had nothing to do with my lifestyle, weight, cholesterol, exercise habits - basically there wasn't anything I could've changed, excpet pushing harder for a diagnosis!!!

Lizzy
 
Lizzy,

Sorry to hear what happened to you. I hope you make a full recovery.

But what could cause a dissection in the carotid arteries...?

I'm a bit uneducated on this topic, so would like to know more.
 
Lizzy, I am sorry this happened to you but very glad you got to the hospital and are now getting the proper treatment by a specialist. You have given good advice, we need to be our own advocates and not sit back and wait to get worse when we know something is wrong.
 
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